New Molalla city manager starts today with community visioning a top priority

MOLALLA -- The new woman in Molalla is on a mission to determine the
town's identity. But in this small
town, Ellen Barnes knows that won't be an easy task.

Barnes starts today as Molalla's new city manager. Last week, in addition to settling into her new home, she roamed the streets and chatted up
residents. She heard from community members who want their town to remain the small, agriculturally focused
place it's always been. From others, she heard arguments for industrial development, more recreational activities,
growth.

View full sizeJohn FlavinEllen Barnes, former Gold Beach city administrator, starts today as Molalla's city manager.

That's why Barnes, the former Gold Beach city administrator,
thinks Molalla needs a plan. It needs a vision that enables the differing factions to
come together and agree upon an identity.

"Once you have that, you can start putting goals and
projects in place to achieve that vision," Barnes, 43, said.

To reach the understanding of "this is Molalla," Barnes
plans to improve communication between city staff and community members. City
Hall can be intimidating, she said, so she intends to hit the streets in a
"walk-around" style of management. She'll work to make complicated public
documents from the city more easily understood and issue public notices in
multiple languages.

And she's even considering tapping into social media for the first time to
facilitate communication. Twitter, to be exact.

Along with a community vision, Barnes wants to establish a more efficient budget and make headway on Molalla's "horrible" roads.

Mayor Mike Clarke said community members are looking forward
to a fresh face as city manager. The former city manager, John Atkins, announced his retirement during a "contentious" city council meeting in April after holding the
position for four years.

"John was a great person, but he had a couple of council
members that didn't agree with him all the time," Clarke said. "So sometimes it
was difficult for him to work with some of his ideas."

Council President Debbie Rogge sees more town halls and
public participation in Molalla's future and considers Barnes' status as a
newcomer an advantage.

"I think because she's new to Molalla, she hasn't been
entrenched in Molalla," Rogge said. "And she has an opportunity to help Molalla
shift gears."

Barnes was chosen out of a pool of 42 applicants
for her interview performance and her leadership experience, which includes being
former grants administrator in Grants Pass. She said Molalla's sense of
community was the reason she accepted the position and moved to the town with
her husband, Jack, and two daughters.

"While there is internal discourse, there is very clearly a
sense of community," Barnes said. "People actually care about their city."